Infertility

The figures also show that British clinics have the highest rate of complications caused by specialised drugs used for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), and the highest rate of abortion of healthy IVF babies with a technique called “foetal reduction”.

The procedure involves placing two embryos in the woman’s womb in the hope that at least one of them will implant.

If both develop, one of the twins is destroyed by injection to stop its heart in order to increase the growth potential of the other.

“Many doctors consider the procedure ethically unacceptable,” said Karl Nygren, a professor of gynaecology in Stockholm, who compiled the ESHRE statistics.

“It also causes major depression.

The women mark the birthday of one child and the death day of the other.” British doctors admit clinics here cost more.

In Iceland, one of the most effective countries for IVF, it costs a couple £7,000 on average to achieve a successful pregnancy.

In Britain, one cycle of treatment can cost £10,000.

Gedis Grudzinskas, director of the Bridge Fertility Centre in London, said he was aware of some patients in Britain who had inves...

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